Blakeley v. Howard

387 S.W.2d 96
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 8, 1965
Docket16434
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 387 S.W.2d 96 (Blakeley v. Howard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blakeley v. Howard, 387 S.W.2d 96 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

DIXON, Chief Justice.

Appellee Ben Howard, doing business as Ben Howard Plumbing Company, recovered judgment against appellant J. Alex Blakeley for $3,204.25 in a suit for labor and materials furnished in performing plumbing work on Coralita Courts, a motel owned by appellant.

Appellee’s original petition alleged a cause of action based on a verified account. However, in pleadings filed later appellee pled quantum meruit and his cause of action was tried on that theory.

Appellant filed an answer and cross-action which we shall discuss in greater detail later in this opinion. It is undisputed that appellant has paid $2,000 on account.

A jury returned a verdict finding that (1) appellee furnished appellant labor and materials of (2) a reasonable cash market value of $5,310.34, (3) of which sum a balance of $3,204.25 remained unpaid; (4) a reasonable attorney’s fee was $1,250; (5) appellee did not agree with appellant that for materials furnished appellee would receive cost plus 10 per cent, and (6) did not agree to finish the job by October 7, 1961.

Appellant’s first, second and fourth points on appeal charge that the court committed error in overruling appellant’s motion for discovery. We agree with appellant.

In his answer and cross-action in addition to a number of defensive pleas appellant affirmatively pled that he had entered into an oral contract with appellee, the terms of which were as follows: (1) ap-pellee would charge for labor furnished the usual and customary charges prevailing in Dallas County at the time; (2) ap-pellee would charge for materials furnished the actual cost of said materials plus 10 per cent, except as to panel-ray heaters, which were to be furnished at cost; (3) appellee would allow appellant to check ap-pellee’s books and records to verify the charges made; and (4) would complete the job by October 7, 1961, the opening date of the State Fair of Texas, so that appellant could obtain the benefit of the influx of visitors into Dallas at that time.

In his cross-action appellant alleged that because of appellee’s failure to finish the job by October 7, 1961, as he had agreed to do, appellant in the operation of his motel was not able to obtain any benefit from the influx of visitors to the State Fair to his damage in the sum of $2,500.

*98 Appellant’s testimony supported his pleadings as to the alleged oral contract and its terms. Appellee’s testimony contradicted that of appellant as to the terms of the contract except that appellee admitted that he had agreed to furnish the panel-ray heaters at cost.

It is obvious that in order to support his answer and cross-action with evidence appellant had to know the costs of materials and the details of the charges made for labor. The invoices, books, payrolls and other records showing the needed information' were in the exclusive possession and control of appellee. Appellant repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought to have these records produced for his inspection.

On October 29, 1962 appellant filed a motion for the appointment of an auditor. The motion was overruled.

On March 6, 1963 appellant made a motion pursuant to Rule 167, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, for discovery and' production of (a) invoices pertaining to materials and equipment furnished together with cancelled checks showing payment; (b) payroll records relating to labor performed; (c) quarterly payroll reports pertaining to the men employed as laborers on appellee’s job at Coralita Courts,; (d) records of the labor rate charged; and (e) records pertaining to labor of appellee’s employers at other jobs engaged in by appel-lee during the time he was working on the Coralita Courts. The trial court overruled appellant’s motion for discovery.

On October 14, 1963 appellant pursuant to Rule 168, T.R.C.P., propounded interrogatories to appellee in an effort to ascertain the names and numbers of employees,' labor performed, wage rate, etc., in connection with appellee’s job on Coralita, Courts. , Appellee answered some pf, these interrogatories, but as to hourly, weekly, or monthly wage rates, and the total amount, paid to employees on the job appellee refused to answer on the ground that. Jhe information requested was immaterial. Ap-pellee did not answer interrogatories as to other jobs on which appellee worked during the period involved or the names of employees who worked on said jobs and gave no reason for his refusal to answer.

At a pre-trial hearing the court refused to require appellee to answer the interrogatories he had declined to answer and during the trial on the merits refused to allow appellant to read to the jury the responses of-appellee wherein he declined to answer some interrogatories on the grounds of immateriality and refused to answer other interrogatories without explanation.

The trial on the merits began October 28, 1963. The jury returned its verdict October 31/1963. During the examination of appellee' as 'a witness he was asked to pro-ducé invoices, payrolls ' and other records he admitted were in his possession. Ap-pellee declined to produce the records.

Later after appellant had testified as to the terms of the alleged oral contract, ap-pellee- was recalled as a witness and was again asked to produce the invoices and records as to certain labor and materials costs.- Appellee produced a few records. However, as to others stated that he was sure he had the records some place but would* :have to look in his files for them. The court, over appellant’s protest, refused to allow the witness to take the time necessary to look for the records.

As the foregoing recital shows, appellant was diligent in his efforts to obtain the evidence necessary to enable him to present his defense. .Rule 167, which appellant sought unsuccessfully to invoke, expressly provides that designated books, accounts, letters, photographs, objects or tangible things not privileged, which constitute dr ■ contain evidence material to any matter involved in an action and which aré in the. possession, custody or control of a party, may be required to be produced for inspection,, copying and photographing by *99 the opposing party. The source of our State rule is Federal Civil Rule No. 34. In our opinion the rule is applicable here, and the court abused its discretion in overruling appellant’s motion for discovery. Neville v. Brewster, 163 Tex. 155, 352 S.W.2d 449; Hickman v. Taylor, 329 U.S. 495, 67 S.Ct. 385, 91 L.Ed. 451; Wilson v. David, D.C., 21 F.R.D. 217; Samuel Goldwyn, Inc. v. United Artists Corp., D.C., 35 F.Supp. 633. Even prior to the enactment of Rule 167, T.R.C.P. and Rule 34, F.R.Civ.P., our statute, Art. 2002, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St., provided for discovery. White v. National Paving Co., Tex.Civ.App., 101 S.W.2d 588; Beaman v. Sanger Bros., Tex.Civ.App., 32 S.W.2d 872. Appellant’s first, second and fourth points are sustained.

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